painted porch rug [saving the best for last]

This is my final porch facelift post and between you and me, I’ve saved the best for last …

After I painted and patched the front porch, I decided to create a diamond-patterned painted rug right on the landing.  So I taped it off …

... and gave it two coats of a lightened version of the creamy yellow paint used on the railings and posts.

Once dry, I taped off inner and outer borders and painted them with a glossy black enamel.

 

Then I pulled up the tape and found a colossal mess:  the porch is not a flat surface and the black bled into all the nooks and crevices.  A change in plans was called for in the tune of stripes on the outer border to help hide my mistake.

I spent two very long and frustrating hours trying to measure out diamonds.  I ended up with a giant ball of painter’s tape and a second change of plans in the tune of a checkerboard pattern.

The pictures of how I taped off the squares were lost when my laptop crashed yesterday.  But this hand-drawn layout was invaluable as I mapped out the squares. 

The #1 squares were taped off and painted in with a lightened version of the green.  Once dry, the #2 squares were taped and painted.

As a final touch, I used a square stencil to add a black diamond detail.

The jury is still out about whether I should add a coat of polyurethane.

In the end, we now have a one-of-a-kind, custom rug on our porch. You can’t see it from the sidewalk, but it makes me happy every time I walk up the steps.

It’s like a secret surprise waiting for my guests …

 

Sorry for the picture overload; I'm just so very proud of this project ...

Let’s keep in touch … 

Linking up:

Jennifer Rizzo

Southern Hospitality

From My Front Porch to Yours

Year-End Link Ups

If you like my rug, please click the “like” button at the very end of the post. Thanks!

I was featured:

I'm linking up to:

Thrifty Decor Chic 

Funky Junk Interiors